For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I decided to check out The Selection by Kiera Cass, in the week of its release. I have to admit, what really grabbed me was the cover. It’s just so, so, so pretty. ‘They’ call it “The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor” but I really don’t like that tagline. It’s not really like THG, no one dies, there is no huge dystopian rebellion. This is just what I call my guilty pleasure type book.

Prince Maxon, I think, is amazing and adorable. After finishing reading it, I found out that they’ve shot a pilot for a TV series for the CW based on the book. So that will be interesting. I didn’t really peg it for a series though. I thought they could make a really nice Disney movie out of it. In any case, this book is lighthearted and fun. There’s not a lot of depth to the characters or the story, so beware if that’s what you’re looking for. But I think this is a great read when you’re exhausted after a long day of work or school and just want something simple and enjoyable.

I know this book has gotten some super bad press regarding the author and agent’s treatment of a fellow reviewer, but I’ve not yet gotten to the point that I’m disregarding authors due to drama like that. I read books for the fun of it. But let it still be said that what transpired was disgraceful.

To be clear: if you’re looking for a well-constructed dystopian story with rebellion and action-packed scenes, this book will frustrate you immensely. I would recommend this purely to people who want a rather fun and light-hearted romantic story. Sure there are some darker undertones, but don’t expect a lot from it, because that’s not what this book is really about (or well, if that was Miss Cass’s intention, that’s quite sad and she missed the mark by quite a bit). This isn’t a book to read critically or assess critically either, that’ll just depress you. Basically: don’t go into this book with false hope, because you’ll be massively disappointed.

In any case, I’m looking forward to the next books in the trilogy, for a rainy day, and seeing where the story goes.